Oh, I almost forgot... Although this is not St. John, but nearby... I glance at it frequently to help pass the time. Hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

Looks like you've definitely got the STJ bug and now join the rest of us reading everyone's comments and trip reports and of course viewing their pictures to pass the time until our next trip! The more information you are exposed to the more you will enjoy your trip... All of our choices for breakfast, dinner, beaches, etc came from reading this site and it was so exciting to be there in person finally after all the months of research! You're ahead of the game since you've been there once, even if only briefly. Take it all in and plan your next trip so that you can experience as much of the island as possible... it's an incredible place that will linger with you long after you board your last ferry back to STT for your flight home. Make sure you come back and add your trip report to the site for us to all enjoy!

here are a couple of sunsets from my last trip to get you started

Those pics are beautiful! Big and Beautiful. It reminds me that the evenings can be just as great as the days.... especially with sunsets like that! Thanks for sharing! And yes, I do have the bug. I ordered the St. John Beach Guide through this site and it is great.... but still haven't figured out the first beach on our trip, working on that. They're all so nice. I am traveling with a group of six (husband, daughter, mother, aunt & uncle) Three of which are visiting for the first time. I am in charge of planning, so you see I have my work cut out for me and I want to make it perfect. Especially our first full day!
-Darlene

Hello Darlene

Happy to see your excitement is more under control than many of us (LOL). I definitely recommend you purchase either "STJ Off the Beaten Track" or "Feet, Fins & 4WD". Both books are the bibles for STJ vacations even if you intend to just melt into the sand. They provide some of the local history and details on beach location, access, etc.

Hi Chris,
Excitement is an understatement, Ecstatically obsessed is more like it! just check out this link! 🙂 And yes I do spend lots of time on my computer!

http://travel.yahoo.com/trip?pid=853762&action=viewjournal

I think Darlene speaks for all us "newbies" to the site. I am planning our trip (2 weeks!!!!) from July 27th - August 11th for our wedding and honeymoon. 212 days and counting!!!!!! This site has been SO valuable to me as I cut and paste ideas into a word document that is now almost 10 pages long and print websites and stick them in the ST. JOHN binder with tabs for each aspect of our trip (lodging, beaches, restaurants, shopping, activities, wedding ideas). I too sign on a couple of times a day and get so excited when I see a new topic or a response of interest to me. I can't wait to be one of the "natives" to this site, one day sharing my trip reports and knowledge with newbies like me. Thank you all!

Darlene

Your site sets the new standard for addiction (tasteful) and I must admit I am learning some things I did not know. I have already bookmarked it and it has become yet another informational source! Can't wait to see it after your trip. 🙂

Well done.

Darlene,

You said "For my first day I am looking for that perfect beach..tropical, lined with palm trees......".

I would highly reccomend Maho Bay. It is the best beach to just sit, relax, be amazed at the color of the water, float, etc. It is the best beach on STJ to just unwind and start limin'.

It is also the easiest beach to access from the road. Just pull over and your practically parked on the beach!

I checked out your "research" site. I have a little piece of advice:
Do all the research you want to help the time pass before you go but once you are on island...just be. Don't try to do everything. In fact, try to do nothing and see what happens!

It sounds like you've got the STJ bug so you'll be back again and again and again!

Good luck!

Thanks Chris! I'm glad you enjoyed my travel plans! I really need to keep up with it, when I found this site I kind of slacked on that one! And yes, when I get back I will give a very detailed report. The only thing I haven't been able to find out too much on is the house that we're renting. Like I have said in previous posts I am pretty easy to please, I just want to be be safe. Do you know if the Gift Hill area is a nice?

Thanks Lysa for the beach suggestion! Is that the where the eco-tents are located? Sounds great! Please let me know if you can think of any other beaches I might be interested in. And don't worry, although it sounds like I have this plan, I am pretty laid back. I just like to be well informed and I don't want to miss a thing or that perfect beach.

Beach Bound in Boston
-Darlene

DITTO about Maho Beach and you can also walk up the trail to Maho Camp and it not long at all. Very Peaceful beach. Lots of locals, I should know it was my afternoon stop before heading home to Coral bay WAS is the key word here , I will forever be touched by STJohn and its beauty , its etched in my mind always .
Sad to be back stateside 🙁 any smypathizers? LOL Yolanda

WOW Hey Girl You sound like my twin , no doubt StJohn is a very wonderful place I experienced alot of your thoughts and moved there, but Iam now back statside , not because its was not great but for family obligations.I really miss it terrible. Hey have you been to Jost Van Dyke? 2nd love for me after STJohn only 200 peeps and the main street is a dirt road . the beach is awesome reallly . its worth the trip.
You can take the boart from the Westin 115 pp plus coustoms free drinks and snacks . hugh catamaran with great staff and lots of peace wow am I rambling . I really really miss it and only a few of the people that I know understand how it feels. lets chat !!! as for giftt hill which villa I know alot of them . my last job taught me alot of the roads on st john. it was really awesome time in my life . Iam a 43 mom who transplanted her teen kids there and they hated it at first and now want to go back .. I miis the Donkeys, goats,and mostly the horses who would show up on my front yard on a sunday morning AND remind me why I was there and why I was still on this earth.
Girl you had got me started .. keep it up I can live vicarously thru you ok Yolanda

Hi Yolanda!
That's a 2nd vote for Maho! That's all I need! That will be my first beach on my ten day vacation! How long did you live on St. John? That must of been quite the experience! I sympathize for you (yeah right, I'm jealous, LOL) Do you ever go back? After reading your segment on the animals I probably would not do well living there. I would have way too many pets, kind of like Dr. Dolittle! I am definitely an animal person and I wouldn't be able to turn any away. I also noted that there are not too many jobs there. Although bartending on a beautiful beach talking about the islands all day with locals and visitors doesn't sound that bad! 🙂

I will be staying at Glenmar on Gift Hill. I went though St. John Properties. They were great and very helpful! It's just hard to pick when you haven't been there. 3 bedroom, pool, nice view!!!! Do you know it?

I have never been to Jost Van Dyke. On my cruise I went to Antigua, Barbados,Tortola, St. Thomas (took the excursion to Trunk Bay), and St. Maartin. That trip sounds like fun, do you know the name of the company or if they have a website?

Yolanda, you may regret responding to my post, I have sooooooooooooooo many questions! You guys have been great and patient! This is so much fun!!

As far as the trip to Jost we are going on Breakaways it will take you to Jost virgin gorda and norman island Here is the website to check out

www.visitbreakaway.com

Thanks Waterguy, I checked out the site and it looks great. Have you been on that particular excursion before? What else is on Jost? I have only heard of the bar that's on the beach there.

I was also wondering, from the Gift Hill area at night, will I get great views of St. Thomas? I am just trying to picture what it will be like at night when there is not much to do but enjoy the twinkle of the lights from nearby islands. I hope this is not a stupid question, I just don't know.

Thanks,
Darlene

P.S. I know a bunch of you guys did a post on "show your face" I will do the same. I think it is kind of nice to have a face to go along with the posts. This is me in front of the Mount Washington Hotel in New Hampshire. Another place I love besides the islands! They have a beautiful golf course there!

Hey Darlene, you got a bad case of DIF!! I understand exactly how you feel! We stayed on Tortolla ( Is that where your picture was) a few years back and I have been addicted ever since. Like you, I go to these travel forums all the time. I have learned so much! Probably the best advice is to relax and savor every moment. And go to Jost Van Dyke!! White Bay is a lot of fun.

We leave on April 19th but hey, whose counting the days?

Denise

Yes, that pic is from Tortola, which I also thought was beautiful. We took the excursion to Cane Garden Bay. I don't recall the name of the bar we went to but it was a lot of fun. It seemed less commercialized than any of the other islands. The beach was pretty but definitely not my favorite! I guess that's why I am going to St. John, it's got the whole package! April is coming up, you are so lucky. Is there really a difference in the seasons? I am going in June which is considered the low season, will it really be less crowded? I kind of hope so, I know that may sound kind of selfish but up here when you go to beach it's like sardines. I really would like to have space and enjoy the peace, take it all in.........

-Darlene

Hi Darlene
Hope that your doing ok ?I know the elation one can have while waiting for the trip !
As for Glenmar ,it sounds like its nice I dont know it. sorry . Gifft Hill has a great view StJohn is a GReatview!!!
When do you go? As for me and my ventures while on the island , it was really a experience and I have friends now that will forever be my friends. I really miss them and my life there.
I can answer any questions that you may have and would love too. So where r u living now? Iam in Florida ,its so dull here. No mountains no views no critters no peace .. One day one day !!! Ask away Yolanda
HAVE YOU SEEN THE WEBCAM CRUZBAY?

I know you have a longing desire for the Pina Colada, but make sure you try a Pain Killer or Bushwhacker while visiting. You might be converted. 🙂